Noblesville, IN – The carnivale is in town! Old or young, put on your tie-dye gear and come on out! Dead & Company have stopped at “the Creek” (Ruoff Music Center) one last time and “Shakedown Street” – think a parking lot flea market run by hippies – offered everything a fan might need to commemorate this special night. Food, drink, clothes, crystals, jewelry, musical performers, and all kinds of cool entertainment; a virtual sea of humanity and moving vibrant colors – and this was just in the parking lot pre-show.
Featuring original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir (guitar, vocals) and Mickey Hart (drums, percussion) plus the “new guys” (now multiple tours in) John Mayer (guitar, vocals), Jeff Chimenti (keys, vocals), Oteil Burbridge (bass, vocals) and Jay Lane (drums, percussion) from Bob Weir’s side band Ratdog (replacing original drummer Bill Kreutzmann on this tour) Dead & Company have been steam rolling across the country selling out night after night. Billed as the last tour, the fans are not missing their chance to experience it all again. Gray-bearded dudes from the first wave of Deadheads twirl side by side with twenty somethings who probably never even had a chance to see the original band. This concert crowd is the most diverse you will ever see all brought together by their common love of the music.
Amplified by a state of the art sound system and with the aid of a visually stunning back drop of lights and projection, the band proceeded to do what they do best for two great high energy sets. From an early “Good Lovin‘” in the first set to a rollicking “Sugaree” in the second set the dancers had plenty of good material to work with. Mayer was on fire reeling off fluid passages on song after song, with especially melodic flights on “Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodeloo” and “China/Rider“. Chimenti’s organ and piano work was always spot on and Oteil kept the low end locked in as Weir threw his trademark guitar flourishes over the top. Drummer Hart was joined by bassist Oteil in a percussive duo for the aptly named “Drums” section of the show, to eventually metamorphosis through the avant-guard “Space“, joined by the other players to resolve into “Hell in a Bucket“. A soaring “Wharf Rat” and an uplifting “Lovelight” closed the show, with an encore of “Touch of Grey” to ease everyone into the night – and back to the party in the parking lot!
I was amused that the band setlist named the venue as Deer Creek – the original name when the Dead first came through in 1989. Despite several logo branded names since (Verizon, Klipsch, and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center) locals still refer to it as Deer Creek to this day. Historically, the amphitheater in Noblesville, IN (just north of Indianapolis) has been included on a number of past Grateful Dead tours from its opening in 1989 and every summer through 1995. The ’95 show in particular even resulted in some negative vibes – Let me just say GATE CRASHERS SUCK! The venue has also hosted Dead offshoots: Furthur in 1996 and The Other Ones in 1998 as well as hosting Dead and Company 2018, 2019, 2021, & 2022. Unfortunately if you didn’t catch it, there are only a handful of dates left on the tour. But through the wonder of modern technology you can catch any of the shows you want available to stream online (for a fee) at nugs.net. Speaking of other shows, make sure to check out Part 1 of our Dead and Company coverage to see the happenings in Bristow, VA (here) by my colleague Dave Pearson. While it was billed as The Final Tour, I don’t expect it will be the last we see or hear from any of these talented musicians, no matter under what banner.
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SET 1
- Bertha (Grateful Dead cover)
- Good Lovin’ (The Rascals cover)
- Must Have been the Roses (Robert Hunter cover- tour debut)
- Big River (Johnny Cash cover)
- Dark Star (Grateful Dead cover – verse 2)
- Next Time You See Me (Junior Parker cover)
- Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo (Grateful Dead cover)
- Bird Song (Jerry Garcia cover)
- Don’t Ease Me In (Henry Thomas cover)
SET 2
- IKO IKO (Sugar Boy and His Cane Cutters cover)
- Sugaree (Jerry Garcia cover)
- China Cat Sunflower (Grateful Dead cover)
- I Know You Rider (Traditional cover)
- Uncle John’s Band (Grateful Dead cover)
- Drums (Grateful Dead cover)
- Space (Grateful Dead cover)
- Hell In A Bucket (Grateful Dead cover)
- Wharf Rat (Grateful Dead cover)
- Turn On Your Love Light (Bobby “Blue” Bland cover)
ENCORE
- Touch of Grey (Grateful Dead cover)
Show Date: 6.27.2023
